In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Abby Kenkelen - our of our best coaches and a standout on Brandeis' Women’s Soccer team - who just wrapped up a season averaging 60+ minutes per game. That kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident… and Abby will be the first to tell you why.

Because if you spend any time around youth sports today, you hear the same question over and over:

“How do I earn more playing time?”

Most athletes think the answer is politics. Or talent. Or hoping the coach just notices them. But Abby flips that mindset completely. Her message to young players is simple, direct, and incredibly refreshing: Speak up.

Throughout her career, whenever her minutes dipped or she felt unsure about her role, Abby didn’t complain, guess, or hope things would magically change. She asked her coach for 3–4 specific things she needed to improve. And then she went all-in on those details until the boxes were checked.

Because at the end of the day, coaches respect athletes who take ownership. They respect players who ask for clarity, pursue feedback, and put in intentional work instead of excuses. And Abby insists on something most athletes never hear: If you attack the feedback, your coach will have no choice but to give you an opportunity.

But this conversation goes way deeper than playing time.

We talk about the power of mentorship — a theme that has shaped Abby’s entire journey as both a college athlete and now a private coach on Athletes Untapped. Abby explains why 1v1 coaching matters far beyond the skill work you see on the surface. Private training teaches responsibility. It accelerates confidence. It forces athletes to own their development instead of outsourcing it.

Abby also dives into the parts of player development young athletes overlook all the time:

- The difference between “working hard” and working deliberately

- How to approach feedback without getting defensive

- Why every athlete should build a relationship with their coach

- What separates players who consistently see the field from those who don’t

- How mentorship unlocks growth that team practices alone can’t provide

- Why the best competitors she knows take notes, ask questions, and chase accountability

- How 1v1 coaching fast-tracks maturity both on and off the field

Her story is a reminder that development isn’t passive. It’s intentional. It’s uncomfortable. It’s earned through humility, communication, and consistent effort — long before the whistle blows.

At Athletes Untapped, we believe great coaching transforms more than skills. It builds leaders. It builds confidence. And it builds athletes who take ownership of their path — exactly the mindset Abby brings to every session she coaches.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com — the nation’s #1 platform for private sports coaching. Our mission is to help athletes reach their full potential by connecting them with great coaches who elevate both skill and mindset.

Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for clips and highlights: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/

In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with someone who sees youth sports through a lens every parent needs to hear: Cari, the longtime soccer mom behind https://www.instagram.com/soccermomsunfiltered/ — a voice known for honesty, humor, and a refreshingly grounded perspective on what kids actually need from us.

Because if you’ve been around youth sports long enough, you’ve seen it…the pressure, the comparison, the scoreboard parenting. The subtle ways parents turn their goals into their kid’s burden. Most of it comes from love — wanting the best, wanting them to succeed, wanting to give them every opportunity.

But Cari shared the reminder that stops you in your tracks: it’s your child’s dream, not yours. And how you show up as a parent can either protect that dream… or unintentionally crush it.

Cari has been through the travel teams, the tryouts, the wins, the heartbreaks, the sideline dynamics, and the rollercoaster of raising a young athlete in a world that never seems to slow down. And what she’s learned is simple but powerful: youth sports should be a place where kids feel supported, not steered. Lifted, not pushed. A place where they can fall in love with the game on their own terms.

But this conversation goes far deeper than “don’t be a pushy parent.”

Cari breaks down what young athletes desperately need from the people in the stands:

- Encouragement that feels unconditional.

- Positivity that doesn’t depend on performance.

- A home environment where mistakes aren’t met with analysis, but support.

- A car ride home that doesn’t feel like an evaluation meeting.

She opens up about the real challenges parents face today — the comparison culture, the rise of social media, the myth that specializing earlier guarantees success, and the silent fear many parents share: “Am I doing enough for my kid… or am I doing too much?”

And she reminds us why youth sports matter in the first place. Not for scholarships. Not for rankings. Not for highlight reels. But for the moments that shape who a child becomes:

- Learning how to lose with grace.

- Learning how to win with gratitude.

- Learning how to fail, adjust, and try again.

- Learning to love something deeply — even when it’s hard.

Cari has seen firsthand that the athletes who thrive are the ones who feel ownership of their journey. The ones who play because they want to, not because they’re afraid to disappoint someone. The ones who grow up believing the field is a place of joy… not judgment.

This episode covers:

- The silent pressure parents put on kids without realizing it

- Why “it’s your kid’s dream, not yours” might be the most important rule in youth sports

- How to support performance without controlling it

- The difference between pushing and encouraging

- Why positivity — especially during struggle — is a parent’s superpower

- How to help kids stay in love with the game long-term

- What to say (and what not to say) on the car ride home

- Why resentment builds when parents try to drive the journey

- The role of autonomy in kids’ confidence, joy, and development

- How social media and modern competition have changed the parenting experience

Cari’s perspective is a breath of fresh air in a sports world that often feels too loud, too fast, and too heavy. Her message is a reminder that youth sports aren’t just a pathway to performance — they’re a pathway to character.

And the greatest gift a parent can give is not pressure…but presence!

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com — the nation’s #1 platform for private sports coaching. Our mission is to help athletes reach their full potential by connecting them with great coaches who elevate both skill and mindset.

Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for clips and highlights: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/

In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Kayla and Chad Zimmer — two longtime baseball parents who’ve spent years watching the game teach their kids lessons that go far beyond batting averages or win-loss records. And they shared a perspective every parent in youth sports needs to hear.

Most parents obsess over the big questions: Should my kid play rec or travel? Are they falling behind? Are they good enough to “make it” someday?

But Kayla and Chad simplify it better than anyone: if your kid is having fun and it doesn’t feel like a job, they’re exactly where they should be. Travel isn’t automatically better. Rec isn’t automatically easier. Every athlete has a different personality, and the best environment is the one that keeps them loving the game.

From there, we dove into one of the most misunderstood truths in baseball — the role of failure. In school, a 30% on a test means big trouble. In baseball? A 30% success rate at the plate makes you elite. It’s the only sport where failing 70% of the time can still put you in the conversation as one of the best.

And that’s the beauty of it.

Baseball forces kids to handle adversity early and often. Strikeouts, slumps, errors, bad hops, long weekends at the fields… all of it builds resilience, EQ, confidence, and mental toughness. The Zimmers believe that’s the real value of youth sports. Not the trophies. Not the rankings. Not the slim chance at playing professionally — but the real-world reps of falling down, adjusting, and trying again.

This conversation goes deeper than highlights or skill development. We talk about:

• Why rec vs. travel shouldn’t be a status symbol
• How to choose the right environment based on your child, not pressure
• The difference between fun pressure and burnout pressure
• How baseball teaches patience, humility, and emotional regulation
• Why embracing failure is the biggest competitive advantage in the sport
• What parents can model to help their kids build confidence
• Why “making it” isn’t the point — becoming capable is

Kayla and Chad also share the reminders every parent needs: the window for youth sports is incredibly short. The years fly by. The smiles in the dugout, the long car rides, the post-game ice cream — that’s the stuff kids remember. Not their batting average from 11U.

At Athletes Untapped, we believe baseball is one of the greatest teachers in sports. It gives kids a safe place to fail, learn, grow, compete, and build character they’ll lean on for the rest of their lives. And the Zimmers embody exactly why that matters.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com — the nation’s #1 platform for private sports coaching. Our mission is to help young athletes reach their full potential through great coaching, great habits, and great experiences in youth sports.

Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for highlights and episodes: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/